Quick Links

tools & materials  S A N D I N G Compact belt sander is a small wonder M any new tools marketed as innovative or cutting-edge don’t live up to the hype. But Porter-Cable’s compact belt sander is an innovation in sanding, a lightweight belt-sanding beast that’s easy to hold and reaches into tight spaces. At only 5 lb., this thing felt more like a bench plane than a belt sander. Its 21⁄2-in. belt is easy to control on narrow surfaces, and its short sanding bed makes it ideal for sanding curves—both convex and concave. When I used the sander to scribe a mantel to a tile wall, it rode the waves and contours PORTER-CABLE 371K Street price: $120 Sources: Amazon.com; Woodcraft.com Weight: 5 lb. 6 oz. Motor: 5 amp, 120v Belt speed: 1,100 sfpm Belt size (grits available): 21 by 14 in. (60, 80, 100, 120 grit) like a sports car. And when hooked to a shop vacuum using the removable hose connect, sanding was nearly dust-free. One side of the sander is clear of knobs and protrusions, which allows for flush-sanding against perpendicular surfaces, such as when cleaning up a wide rabbet or tenon right up to the shoulder. My only complaint is that the dust-sealed ⁄2 in. power switch was sometimes difficult to turn off when operating with one hand. —Mark Edmundson is a woodworker and teacher in Sandpoint, Idaho. Easy to hold. The curved rubber grip on the PorterCable is easy to hold with one hand, especially when edge-sanding. The front handle allows for two-handed sanding when needed.  H A N D T O O L S New medium shoulder plane will be a classic I use shoulder planes for many jobs, from trimming tenons, to refining dadoes and rabbets, to cleaning up machine marks. LieNielsen has introduced a midsize shoulder plane called the 042 that traces its roots back over a century to the classic shoulder plane design of Edward Preston, and more recently, Record. Though the lineage is clear, Lie-Nielsen has made some improvements. The bronze cap, which also serves as a palm rest, is a bit higher, making the tool more comfortable to hold and giving more hand clearance. The foot of the cap extends closer to the blade’s bevel, improving its dampening abilities. The premium A2 steel blade is thick (0.150 in.). And the mouth is more precise and easier to adjust. The plane is 7¾ in. long,¾ in. wide, and weighs 2.35 lb. At its highest point, it stands 3¾ in. tall. It fits the hand well and has heft, but is not so heavy that it’s tiring to use. The plane was perfect out of the box. After just a few minutes honing the blade, the tool’s performance was first-rate. It sells for $175 at www.lie-nielsen.com. —Chris Gochnour is a woodworker and hand-tool aficionado in Salt Lake City. continued  R O U T E R B I T S Bit set based on FWW article Infinity Cutting Tools (www.infinitytools.com) is selling a set of router bits based on the “Ten Essential Router Bits” in FWW #186. All have ½-in. shanks, except for the ¼-in. straight bit. The $200 kit contains a rabbeting bit (seven bearings), a ½-in. flush-trimming bit, a ¼-in. solid-carbide straight bit, a ½-in. straight bit, a dovetail bit, a three-wing slot cutter, a chamfer bit, a 3 bit, a ¼-in. radius roundover bit, and a 3 ⁄8 ⁄8 26 F I N E WO O DWO R K I N G -in. radius cove -in. solid-carbide spiral bit. —Thomas McKenna is an associate editor. Photos, this page (bottom two): Kelly J. Dunton